Category: SRHR

Fresh Calls to Amend Zimbabwe’s 47-Year-Old Abortion Law Gather Momentum

Ntokozo Gudu

By Ntokozo Gudu Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) championing women and girls’ rights in Zimbabwe have called for the urgent amendment of the Termination of Pregnancy Act (TOP), in order to reduce the high maternal deaths associated with unsafe abortions in the country. Zimbabwe is using a Termination of Pregnancy (ToP) Act that was enacted in 1977 which many Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) believe no longer serves the prevailing challenges faced by women and girls. According to the 1977 law, abortion is allowed under the restricted circumstances of rape,…

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Zimbabwe Adolescent Health and Well-being Symposium becomes of age

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Adolescents and young people from various parts of Zimbabwe convened at Manna Safari Lodge in Harare to deliberate on various issues of young people’s health and well-being. Some of the key topics that were covered include improving access to adolescent-friendly health services, addressing mental health and wellbeing, promoting sexual and reproductive health education and supporting adolescent empowerment and development The event was co-created and co-convened by Young People, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), and My Age Zimbabwe with support from UNESCO Zimbabwe, SRHR Africa…

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How to Promote Menstrual Cups as an Economic and Sustainable Option

Michael Gwarisa

Researchers investigate consumers’ preferences on menstrual products and devise guidelines to bolster the adoption of menstrual cups in different countries. Although menstrual cups (MCs) are a sustainable alternative to sanitary napkins and tampons, their adoption remains quite limited for reasons that are not entirely clear. Now, in a recent study, an international research team sought to understand consumers’ preferences regarding menstrual products through online surveys. Their efforts reveal that the cost-effectiveness of MCs may be their strongest selling point, and that promotional strategies tailored to each country could make MCs…

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Amid Diaspora Parenting and Child-Headed Families, Comprehensive Sexuality Education Comes To The Rescue in Bulawayo

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisain Bulawayo A few years ago, Vuzu Sex parties made headlines in Bulawayo Metropolitan province as young people of school-going age engaged in various forms of indecent behavior including sexual orgies, drug and substance abuse amongst other ills. For Simangalisiwe Ndlovu* (19), from Gwabalanda in Bulawayo, attending these parties was easy since both her parents stay out of the country and there was no parental supervision at home. Her parents work in South Africa and Simangalisiwe lives with her two siblings, her younger brother who is 15 and…

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New Study Shows Black Girls Are Getting Their Period Earlier

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter While the ideal age for girls in their first period ranges from 10 and 15 years old, a new study has found that girls of colour, particularly Black girls, are beginning their menstrual cycles at younger ages than their peers, HealthTimes has learnt. The study titled “Menarche and Time to Cycle Regularity Among Individuals Born Between 1950 and 2005 in the US” was conducted by Professor Zifan Wang et al and examined the menstrual trends in girls to explore some of the factors leading to an early…

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YAZ calls for unrestricted access to SRH services for young persons

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere With the clause for the wilful transmission of HIV set to be removed from the the Criminal Laws Amendment (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Bill appluaded, the Youth Advocates Zimbabwe (YAZ) finds there is still some unfinished business to settle regarding the status on access to sexual reproductive health services amongst young persons. This follows some clarifications on the clause by the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi in Parliament recently. Commending the move to withdraw the clause, YAZ Executive Director Tatenda Songore said…

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After Dropping Out Of School Due to An Early Marriage, Mhondoro Adolescent Girl Traces Footsteps Back To Classroom

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa in Chegutu When COVID-19 hit in 2020, everything came to a standstill as governments worldwide clamped down on services to pave way for the effective management of the disease. Unfortunately, the education sector was also affected, and learning was suspended. This, however, increased the vulnerability of girls from poor backgrounds as many were driven into early marriages to escape from the effects of poverty and hunger that characterised the pandemic period. One such girl is Theresa Garikai (21), from Katawa Village, from Mhondoro Mubaira, Chegutu District, who…

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UZ takes SAYWHAT’s SASI Debate championship

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere After claiming the SAYWHAT Quiz Challenge championship, the University of Zimbabwe’s (UZ) thirst for more saw the institution doubling down, to be crowned the Speak And Solve Initiative (SASI) Debate tournament titleholders Friday afternoon following a heated challenge against the Midlands State University (MSU), National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and Chinhoyi University of Technology(CUT). Trailing the UZ on second position was CUT, with MSU being the second runner up leaving NUST on number four. UZ took the title from Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) which won…

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UZ wins 2024 SAYWHAT Quiz Challenge

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) emerged this year’s champions for the SAYWHAT National Quiz Challenge after a nail biting contest. It was the sudden death question,the decider, which saw UZ outsmarting and relieving last year’s winners, the National University of Science and Technology (NUST). From the 12 schools, trimmed from the semifinal were the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), Gwanda State University (GSU), Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) and Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE). In the semis were debutants Marondera University of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology…

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The Need For Youth-Friendly Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health Services

Olindah Tariro Chademana

By Olindah Tariro Chademana According to the United Nations, youths are individuals aged between 15 and 24 years. Youth-friendly services, as defined by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), are health services that respect the rights of young people and take their diverse sexual and reproductive lives into account. The World Health Organisation (WHO) supports this definition and adds that youth-friendly health services should be trusted and catered specifically to young people, with the principles of accessibility, acceptability, equity, appropriateness, and effectiveness in mind. It is crucial that health and…

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